Tick, Tock, Goes the Clock
by E-finch
Summary: Round and Round Again.  There has always been a reason clocks are round. History is meant to repeat its self, but shall you be ready to face it when it comes around once more? Fight off the monsters that follow in your steps? DannyxDark Yaoi and Angst
1. Chapter 1

**Disclamer: I do not own Danny Phantom in any way shape or form. If I did? Oh, the things I could do….**

**This Chapter Contains the Following: Gore**

**A/N: I thought A) I need to get out of my writing slump B) There is not enough Danny/Dark angst on here C) I wanted to write a Danny Phantom story. So what the hell? I write, you enjoy, yes?**

**Tick, Tock, Goes the Clock. Round and Round Again.**

It wasn't like he expected it. Not all crammed up like he had heard the others say. Or maybe it was just him. Either way, it wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't really pleasant. It was dark and cold and he was floating, not really knowing why. This space seemed to go on forever as he just…went. He didn't try to, not that he would, everything just sort of happened in here. It was always quiet, there was no use saying anything. No one would hear it. The sound would only be that of his own voice, talking to himself. It wouldn't really matter.

In such a place, the only thing one did was think. And think he did. But it never seemed to end the deep void silence. Little by little he believed his sanity, or what was left of it, was tugged away, as if they were threads on a sweat, unraveling at the seems.

And in this place. A cage for which he was trapped, he waited, patiently. That was always the key. Patients. Waiting. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The perfect moment to _escape_.

And thus, it came. He didn't know when exactly, time didn't exist in this place, but it did. And it was that perfect moment that had come, so he took it.

He chuckled, a deep booming voice that echoed all around him. What a wonderful sound that was. Echoes. An effect that was ment only to toy with people and he loved it. He also loved the fact that he was standing again, stretching, feeling _freedom_. He loved that. It ment he was in control once more.

His chuckle grew louder, deeper, booming around the room as he stepped around the room, his boots covered by the green glowing goo. "Now…let's see what fun we can have."

* * *

_**Chapter 1: Disturbia**_

"_Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present."_

"NO!" The teenage boy gasped, jolting up right in his bed, a glimmer of sweat covering his exposed chest. His black hair was matted down around his face, sticking to his forehead and cheeks. His eyes wide and lips parted, panting hard. He tried to calm his heart, beating faster and faster and he gasped for air that never seemed to reach his lungs. Tears were pricking the corner of his eyes, threatening to fall free.

It was that dream again- No. That nightmare. Those demented images passing across his vision, scenes so horrid he couldn't get them out of his mind. His family and friends cried and begged, screaming as that blue devil laughed, slaughtering them slowly, ever so slowly, making Danny watch. The boy begged, pleading with his evil to let them go, crying even as he killed them off, one by one until only Sam was left. Danny was splattered in blood, pinned to a wall by ectoplasm, making sure his arms and legs were bound, but his eyes open.

He watched in horror as Dark Phantom tore Sam apart, hearing her spin pop and then the sickening snap as it broke, her waist separating from the rest of her body, a pool of blood at Dark's feet and Sam's organs falling out. The worst part was she wasn't dead yet. Danny saw her tears still falling and her skin turned pale as what little blood was left in her pumped out and her voice cracked, hand reaching for Danny as the goth girl tried to say her last words. "H-hel…..lp…m-me…….D-D-Dah…any…." And then she fell limp.

Danny couldn't pull his eyes away as he screamed, yelling for her to come back, not believing she was really dead. Dark just laughed, his voice echoing in the younger's ears as tears fell down his own pale face.

The evil half dropped the corpse that was Sam in the pile with the rest of Danny's loved ones and began to stride over to Danny, a dangerously evil smirk dancing on his lips. He stood in front of Danny's quivering form, red eyes met blue. The boy was to weak to go ghost at all. Every ounce of energy was drained from him. But Danny managed to glare at his other threw the thick tears running down his face.

"Y-you BASTERD!" He spat, hands turning into fists that curled, nails cutting into his skin.

Dark Phantom just laughed again, as if this was the funniest thing he had ever heard. He smiled at Danny, cupping his chin in his cold fingers tips, forcing the boy to look at him. His snake like tongue flicked out slightly as he spoke. "You can't escape fate, Danny." He said, close enough to the teen's ear he felt the hot breath against his skin. "A clock is round for a reason. You'll become what you hate soon enough, my dear boy." And then he leaned in, closer and closer-

And that was always when Danny woke up. Screaming and crying. No one else in the house hold ever heard him, or, if they did, they didn't say anything to him, or came to see if he was okay. It didn't really matter to Danny, he wouldn't tell them anything about the dreams anyway.

It had been a year, Danny was now 15. A full year since the unnerving even when Danny met his future self. No, it wasn't his future self anymore. He was gone. Gone. It wasn't going to happen. Never. So, why was he having these dreams? These morbidly dark dreams about the demon coming back? He was gone! He had to be! Clockwork made sure of that! …right?

Danny threw the covers off of him, exiting his room and only followed by memory in this pitch darkness to the bathroom. He quickly opened the door and with no noise at all, slide in, locking the door behind him. Danny flicked on the lights, crouching over the sink. He'd become a master of silence in his year and some of months of being a ghost. A 'halfa' as the other lost souls liked to call him.

He sighed, running a hand threw his damp hair. He bathroom was cold, but it felt good against his warm flesh that was covered in sweat. He wore only his poke a dotted boxers, his favorite pair and pattern. Danny lifted his head, staring at himself in the mirror. He looked like shit, to say the least. But it was the same way for how he felt. Bags hung under his eyes from lack of sleep in the past few months, but luckily he had watched Jazz put on enough make-up over the years to know how to cover the black rings up. The boy hadn't gotten enough sleep in the last weeks of his life, but he was good at hiding it. Energy drinks in the morning made up for the lack of sleep and made him his usual self for at least a few hours. He always made sure never to seem as paranoid as he felt; jumping at every little sound when he was alone.

The truth was, Danny Fenton was _scared_. He feared these dreams that haunted him every night. Dark Phantom always said the same thing in the end of them, right before he woke up. Like he was speaking to him threw his dreams. But that was impossible, right? But it wasn't just the dreams. He felt like someone was always watching him, glaring at his back all the time. And, what he truly feared, the unknown feeling of the future. To many unanswered questions mocked him everyday since the event a year ago, when his future was almost a permit black, covered in death.

He vowed for that to never happen, he did everything to make sure it _never_ happened, but one could never be certain. And that was what made him scared the most. Not being certain. Danny always made sure to play the hero role, praying every day for nothing bad to happen, nothing to make _him_ form. But how could he be sure? He was but a boy, he couldn't tell the future.

Daniel sighed again, staring back at his reflection in the mirror. It was him. It was. But for how long?

He turned on the cold tap, drenching his hands in the flowing water, loving how the cool liquid felt against his skin before he cupped his hands together, using it to make a cup and splashed it against his face. He repeated this action a few more times, eyes closed as he finally reached for a towel to dry his face up.

The soft fabric felt good as he dabbed it against his cheeks, feeling refreshed. He turned off the water, glancing up at the mirror.

A blue face, razor sharp teeth, and piercing red eyes stared back at him. Smirking.

Danny jumped back, holding back the scream that was coming up his throat, his hands were raised in a defensive position and he almost turned into his white haired phantom. His ears, he swore he heard that mocking laughter.

Yet, as he looked back, it was only him staring back. Him. Danny. Black hair and wide scared blue eyes. No fangs, blue skin, or red. It was only him. Danny let out the breath he didn't know he was holding in and gasped, chest panting once more for air. He was freaking out. Going crazy. There was no one there. No one behind him or even in the same room. Just him. Dark Phantom wasn't there. He was gone.

Or at least that was the lie Danny tired to make himself believe, but it never seemed to work. Never.

The boy walked, his feet padding against the houses floor silent still as he made his way back to his own dark bedroom. He closed the door and locked it just as he did the bathroom. The teen crawled back into his bed, trying to calm his person down. He curled up in the blankets, turning over on his side and staring at his closet door silently. Waiting, maybe, for something to happen. The boogie man to pop out or something. _Yes, the boogie man. Exactly. _Danny thought, still staring into the darkness.

But nothing happened. Nothing ever did. Danny just lost more of his precious sleep because nothing happened. It never really did, so why did he always have a sinking feeling deep in his stomach, something that told him if he did let down his guard at all, it would be his last mistake. Ever.

So he lay on his side, like almost every night before that, and waited, in the dark, for nothing to happen. It was only him and his Disturbia.

The next morning was like all the others. He stumbled out of bed, hitting his alarm clock (the beeping everyone hates so much!) and yawned, knowing he only got about 3 hours of good sleep. The rest of the night he was wake or tossed and turned in his dreams. _Nightmares. Nightmares._ His mind always told him whenever he called them dreams. For some reason his inner thoughts always reminded him of the present reality and the truth that was buzzing all around him.

He threw on his usual attire, it was dirty, of course, but he put it on anyway. Stumbling down the hallway and to the bathroom he had visited only hours before. Thankfully, Jazz hadn't gotten to it yet. He walked in and locked the door, a habit he was growing to use a lot, and took out his sisters make-up. They had almost the same skin tone, so no one ever noticed as Danny rubbed the cover up under his eyes, smiling in the mirror once he was done. Perfect. Just like normal.

His family was down stairs, making morning small talk and they all smiled as he entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, sweetie!" His mother's normal happiness made Danny also smile as she kissed his forehead and handed him his lunch. Knowing they were here, waiting ever morning for him, they were okay, alive. It always made him smile. Just knowing nothing bad happened to them... He never took advantage of what he had every since the event last year.

"Do you want some breakfa-" His mother tried to continue, but Danny cut her off, grabbing his lunch, backpack, and a 'Monster' from the fridge.

"No thanks, mom. I have to go meet Sam and Tucker. Bye!" He waved to his family, no one ever suspected a thing could go wrong.

**A/N: And thus, the first chapter has ended. Short, yes, but I'm tired and don't feel like dragging it out anymore. Promise, it will get better. You always have to have the silence before the storm! Reviews are VERY welcome!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Danny Phantom in any way shape or form. ****If I did?**** Oh, the things I could do….**

**This Chapter Contains the Following: Cursing and character insanity**

**A/N: Yes, chapter two….****lol**** I never thought it would be so fun making Danny go insane!!! He's just so much fun to play with! **

* * *

He was sitting in a chair, hand on chin and a sly smile graced his lips. The orb in front of him shifted from image to image, things from the past, the present, but that was wonderful part. There was no true future. Clearly, when it flicked to that what should be the future; the images were blurred and stretched, as if changing. Even sometimes it would black out all together. 

The future was uncertain. With no one there to predict, to protect, it is something that may not even exist anymore. Though it was still there, for now at least. For now it would still be unpredictable, which is until he finally came. He'd rip them appear. Make them beg. Make sure the sanity was nothing but a dream.

The smell in the room was getting strong now, he didn't care to clean. It felt better with the stench and the lifelessness all around him. Surely, to him it felt like home. Comfort from the dead. He sighed, leaning back and closed his eyes. Just like home.

There was no one to stop him. No one to ever make the future clear again. Only, for now, the past and the present still stood. But the wonders about time were a mystery. The past would always be there, but the present would always change. It didn't matter, however. This only showed that he still had more power. He had control.

The monster's eyes flashed open as the orb flicked to the present time now, zooming in on the one that would destroy everything.

"Perfect, really. Even now you know, but cannot change a thing."

* * *

_**Chapter 2:**__** Past Regards**_

_"I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."_

_

* * *

_

It was a cloudy day in Amity Park, telling the citizens it would rain later, or maybe it was just to play with them. Strange things always happened here, nothing was never normal, even if they said it was. Everyone knew life here wasn't all what it was cracked up to be, but maybe that's why they all stayed? Because maybe they thought being normal was overrated, maybe they really did want an adventure or two in their lives, even if it meant risking your life? Yes, in Amity Park rarely did anyone new move there, and even if everything was a hell, no one ever moved out. It was home, even if it was a little strange. They seemed to like it that way.

The hero waited on the corner, waiting where they always waited, for his friends to come and greet him into another day. His eyes gazed at the sky and the big puffy clouds above him, mentally he groaned. Rain always told him it would be a bad day. Though, for the past few months everyday was a bad day. He finished off his morning drink, crushing the can with his hand and tossed it into his backpack for later disposal. His body shivered slightly as a gust of wind went passed him, making his head turn right and left. He didn't know if he was really looking for someone to appear or just looking to look, his paranoid brain made his thoughts jumble together.

"Danny!" The boy turned his head to see his two best and only friends coming towards him, a smile on their faces. He too put on a smile, happy to see them, yes, but it was still sort of forced. He didn't feel like smiling that morning.

"Hey, Tucker, Sa-" A pain pulsed threw his head before he could finish the greeting, his eyes widened as he saw a flash of the memories from his dreams. Tucker was scattered around, bits and pieces of him everywhere, no whole being was left. Sam was slipping away from him as she was torn apart, blood covered her as her own heart pumped, killing her without knowing so. His eyes clenched close, holding his head and moaned in pain. The images sent chills up his spin and he felt like crying.

The goth and the geek rushed over to Danny, holding him up and asking if he was alright. They were worried as friends should be. Though they didn't know of the nightmares that cursed the boy, they still knew something was wrong. "Danny, you ok man?" Tucker asked, patting the raven haired boy's back. Sam said nothing, just held him and waited for him to speak.

"Ya, I'm fine." Danny let go of his head, smiling softly at them. "Just a headache, nothing big though. Should go away soon." He shifted his back pack, moving it to his other shoulder. He quickly shook the two off, walking away, knowing the other two would follow. He'd hide everything from them so far, why not keep it up? Besides, if they did know they would worry like hell. If they found out, well, that may even be worse. Sam would even give him this long talk about how he should have told them because they were all friends. Danny had always found, for a goth girl, Sam was always very touchy when it came to shit like that.

Sam and Tuck, just as he thought, followed along beside him, not asking questions this time. He could feel they thought it was something they should intrude on.

It was raining by the time the trio had gotten to school, a light sprinkle that turned into a fast down fall. All were soaked when they entered class. The heavy droplets of water falling off around him. They took their seats quickly as the 'popular' group laughed at the drenched friends. Danny, of course, ignored them and rolled his eyes as he always did. After a year and more of that kind of treatment, you just got used to it, learned to live with it. It was only the idiots that did it, those who were so self conscious about themselves, they needed the people around them to feel worse about themselves then they did. It was only the facts of life.

The halfa sighed, turning his head to the window as he waited for class to begin. The rain outside was pouring down harder, hitting the window with soft pitter patters; one after the other. It was completely gray outside, the sun hidden behind thick clouds. It was trying to get threw, but there was no use. The puffy clouds were to big, to strong. Danny could see his reflection in the glass, his eyes the normal bore blue they were in school, his skin the healthy tone it should be. There was nothing wrong with him. Nothing at all. He was normal.

A book closed loudly at the front of the room, telling everyone to shut up and pay attention, but in a _nicer _way. Danny's head turned, glancing at Mr. Lancer once before turning back to his window. He would only be talking about the book reading everyone was meant to do for homework, something Danny had not done. With him in the mental state he was, there was no way he would care about what a white whale did to some pirate guy with one leg! He had better things to worry about...

The boy's eyes drooped slightly, snapping open immediately as soon as he knew what was happening. He was going to sleep. Not here. Why wasn't the freaking drink kicking in? It should be working by now! His eyes closed, showing the blacks of his eyes lids. No! No! He could fall asleep! There was no knowing what would happen if he went under now. There was just no way he-

_"Please...no..."_ But it was to late. His eyes shut fully, his arm slide down to become a pillow for his head. He took in a sharp breath before his mind turned to mush and he fell deep into the black void of sleep. He couldn't wake up.

* * *

Danny shot up, gasping. He felt like a brick just made contact with his head; in the back of his eyes a shot of white went off, sending a wave of pain threw his skull. He groaned, rubbing the sides of his head as he stood up, slowly as to not get anymore pain. 

_'"What happened? Did I fall asleep? I'm awake now, right?"_ He opened his eyes, and to his surprise, there was no light to blind him like he would have expected. Normally the florescent lights at school ware really bright when you just wake up, but this time they weren't bright at all, and they weren't lights. In fact, they weren't lights at all. It was just dark and...dark. He wasn't even inside a building. He was outside, and the sky was dark. It wasn't like the rainy gray sky he had seen earlier either, the sky here was one shade of dark gray all across the sky and there was no clouds.

He stumbled, getting his footing. He groaned again as the motion now sent pain and nausea through his body. Danny looked down to see he wasn't Danny Fenton anymore, but Phantom. _"When did...?" _He looked at his gloves hand, feeling the sot white hair. He was a ghost now, but he couldn't remember when it happened. He was in school, right? As normal Danny Fenton? Not anymore, is seemed.

He looked around, wondering if where he had been, wasn't where he was anymore. And he was right. Danny wasn't in school anymore, though it was another place he knew of quit well, but he didn't want to be there at the moment. He'd grown to find that this place wasn't one he liked to visit anymore.

And it seemed the time wasn't the same either. This wasn't right at all, he should be wake. He wanted to wake up!

"No...NO!" His eyes brimmed with tears, the nausea hitting him harder now.

There before him was the sight of Nasty Burger that haunted him every since the incident happened a year ago. And it was from a year ago. His green eyes widened, it was something he never wanted to see before, ever.

"Danny!"

"Help us! You have to get us out of here!"

"The thing is going to explode!"

"HELP!"

Their desperate voices made his knees weak, he collapsed where he stood and stared at them._ "They don't die. They don't die. Clockwork saves them, saves me." _But even this couldn't reassure him. That feeling deep down in the pit of his stomach still felt empty, like he was sinking.

Yet, where was Clockwork? Where was he? And where was Dark Ph-

"Hello, Danny."

His head shot to the side, eyes going even wider at the site of his former-future self grinning at him, the deep red glow staring back at him like a demon from hell. He was floating in all the evil glory, floating closer and closer to him. Grinning. Grinning.

Danny fell back onto his butt, crawling backwards, trying to get away from the monster. "This isn't happening...it isn't happening! It's all a dream! Just a horrible nightmare and I'm going to wake up. Mom, Dad, Jazz, Sam, and Tucker...their all ok. When I wake up it'll be all OK again! He cried, shaking his head frantically. "Wake up!" He bashed his head, over and over. "Wake up! Wake up!" Tears were running down his face now, long never ending strands of sadness that shouldn't have been there in the first place.

"Oh, but you can't wake up." The Darker half was now right in front of the snow haired boy, standing over him with the menacing grin from ear to ear. "The fun is only beginning!"

Danny didn't have time to react before he was picked up off the ground, a tight grip at his throat, but not enough to cut off his breath. He gasped, hands going to his own neck. A choked sob fell from his lips. "S-stop!" He begged.

"But don't you want to see it? As your whole life is torn apart right before your very eyes? How your family and friends are killed, and you can't do anything about it? Now why?" Phantom leaned in, his lips almost touching Danny's ear. He didn't want to hear it, he didn't want it at all, because he knew, he knew what he was going to say. "Because it's all your fault."

The halfa frozen, breathing stopped and he couldn't move. An internal clock alarmed in his head, telling him he couldn't stop it. No one would save them, not this time or ever again. There was another cry for help, this one from Jazz, tears in her eyes, that's when it happened. The heat became to much, to glass cracked and metal bent.

It exploded.

He couldn't scream, he couldn't do anything, but watch. Dark Danny was laughing, he formed a shield around him and Danny, making it so the fire and ashes didn't hit them, but Danny could still see everything flying by. The bits of flesh and metal hitting the glowing green orb that just bounces off, blood splattering.

This time he couldn't save them, because it was him to killed them.

Him.

A monster.

* * *

"NOOOO!!!!" He screamed and cried, jumping upright. Danny felt the tears dried up along his cheeks, his lungs were heaving, his nails gripping the desk so tightly his hands were white. His eyes were wide as his mind still why trying to grasp what he saw now. 

He wasn't dreaming anymore. He wasn't asleep. He was awake.

And everyone was staring at him, the room was silent.

Danny's eyes glanced around, Mr. Lancer was staring at him, surprise and mouth open. He was speaking about something before he woke up. The rest of the class was turned to look at him, the expression almost the same as Mr. Lancer's. A bead of sweat ran down his brow.

"Mr. Fenton, do you like interrupting me cl-"

Danny shot from his chair before the teacher could finished, his eyes were still wide, his body shaking. It's what happened when ever he woke up from a nightmare. But this time, it just felt so real. It happened. They were dead. "No..."

"Mr. Fenton-"

"SHUT UP!" Danny shouted, snarling at him. The boy was on the edge, slowly being pushed off. The whole class jumped as the normal Danny shouted at the teacher. It wasn't like him at all. The boy turned, looking around at everyone. They all looked either scared or surprised. Either was good. They all looked at him like he was a freak, like he was crazy. Crazy! And maybe, just maybe, he was. "It was real...I could feel it."

"Danny, are you OK?" It was Sam now, staring at him with the exact expression he thought she would have if she ever knew, they were all half way there.

"OK? OK!?" He ran his hands there his hair, damp with sweat. "Not, I'm not! He's coming back and he's going to kill everyone..." The crying was coming back, half of him waned to stop, knowing it wouldn't be good for the babyish reputation he already had, but the other half couldn't care less.

"Danny...?"

"Don't you get it!?" He screamed, rushing over to grip her arms tightly and look right into her eyes. "I kill you." He whispered, shivering.

"Mr. Fenton-"

But he already let go and was heading towards the door.

"Mr. Fenton!"

But it was to late. Danny was gone.

* * *

**A/N: And here is chapter two! Yaaaay! Don't you just love the craziness? Anyway, it shall be getting better...the plot needs to form faster!!!! And, the awesome that is Dark will come! HE WILL! And remember! Comments are Love! **

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom in any way shape or form. If I did? Oh, the things I could do….**

**This Chapter Contains the Following: Just read at your own risk, got it?**

**A/N: Here's where it picks up. Chapter three, long awaited, and long put off. Nothing much to say, other than I was lazy, and enjoy. Forgive not, for nothing is to be forgiven.**

* * *

Laughter echoed out everywhere, bouncing off the walls to make the room seem smaller than it really was. It was quiet, almost too much so, but that was alright with him. His fingers tapped upon the little orb, it felt of glass. The image shimmered slightly at his touch, getting fuzzy before focusing in again.

He would come out soon. It seemed almost too perfect, even now. He'd make it seem just like the nightmares that haunted the young Halfling ghost. He'd make it blood, make sure the young boy heard every little sound, and saw everything little part. He wanted that. He did. Wanted to watch them all squirm, because they thought everything was okay.

Crazy, maybe. That thought always came back to him. And, maybe it was the reason everything was happening the way it did. He couldn't remember the last sane thought he had, well, with such a fuzzy past, he wasn't exactly sure how it all happened. His memories were being affected. How good. Insanity was surely one of the factors within this.

He took in a deep sigh, watching the figure in the orb walk faster, everything seeming gray, and then stood. He walked over, boots making clicking sounds on the floor, more echoes in the silence. He smiled kindly, kneeling down and took hold of the dead ghost's chin, making the head turn up, dull red eyes, big and wide, staring up into his bright red. He almost wished they were alive again, just to see the expression…

"Well now, I hate to leave, but there is business I must take care of." His eyes flickered back to the orb, the boy now climbing a hill. "To bad you won't be here to save him again." He leaned in, close, and could smell the dead and decay consuming the body. He'd always found it sort of odd how the twice dead could smell. Oh well. They'd be gone soon. "It's been fun."

He stood, laughing, the sound thick and heavy in the air. "I'll be sure to give him your best wishes. Bye."

And then, disappeared, leaving behind the dead and laughter and in the air.

* * *

_**Chapter 3: Second Chanced Mistakes**_

"_If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.__"_

* * *

Raining. Gray. Everything.

Back against a tree and his head tilted to the sky, Danny sat, soaking wet, cold, just watching the rain come down. He was shaking, but not because of the chill nipping at his skin. His breath was still uneven. Black hair was falling, sticking to his face. His blue eyes, heavy with sleep, fear, and everything else, hung half closed.

The clouds looked pretty, for some reason. All big and gray. When it rained, it felt like you didn't have to do anything. You could just disappear and sleep or not exist and no one would care to find you, because they were doing the same thing. It showed the world's really colors, making everything look darker than it really was. Gray was seeping into everything. Even the grass seemed…dead.

He was sitting on one of the hills in the park. His hands were grasping the grass, and his heart was still pounding too hard to be safe. He was too young to have a heart attack.

Danny didn't know what to do. He just didn't know what to do anymore. The problem was, there was nothing to be afraid of. They were only nightmares. Dreams. They wouldn't-- _couldn't_ --come true, because, well, that's all they were, was dreams. He was losing sleep and losing his mind over them, what for? Dark Danny-- he was gone, for good, and _not _coming back. The moment where he changed is over, and everyone's safe and so is he. There is nothing to be afraid of. So why…

The teen sighed, letting his head fall back against the hard tree, and the painful edges of bark digging into his head only were there to remind him that he was actually here. He was questioning his own reality now? Well, goodie to that. He was sure every fifteen year old did that these days. It felt like he was having a panic attack, and probably was.

Someone would come and find him sooner or later. A kid doesn't just walk out of school without everyone knowing. Sam and Tucker would surely be here as soon as the last bell rang, though they might be a little too late if his parents can stop being ghost hunters long enough to take the school's call and act like parents to find him. Jazz would be in their wake, coming to give him the "I'm here, you can talk to me." talk, like she knows everything. And maybe she does, seeing as she will be going to college next year for psychology. He's always been her test dummie.

He was still staring at the sky, gray with puffs of black here and there. There was no thunder or lightning, just the constant down pour. Another sigh, and he lifted a hand in the air to catch the rain.

"What am I doing wrong?" He said, voice seeming like a whisper in the wind. Danny wasn't talking to anyone, but wished that someone would answer him. It would make everything a lot easier, because he didn't _know_ the answers, and probably never would. "Why is it that everything seems so…" And he couldn't finish that sentence. "Am I…supposed to be _doing_ this? Or is it, I'm just paving the way…I don't _want_ them too…"

It was a strange feeling, really, when you can't put your thoughts out in the open. He wanted to know if it was safe. If what everything he was doing was _right_ and wouldn't cause something bad, because he didn't have to do it. He didn't _have_ to be the superhero everyone counted on. He was fifteen and can't even remember the last time he did something that didn't relate to ghost fighting. He could tell his parents. He could. They were right all along, about ghosts and everything else, even when people laughed at them. They would understand, and they could destroy the portal. And Vlad, well, he could think of something. Danny was sure he could somehow get the man to destroy his portal, somehow… so they he wouldn't have to fight anymore. He didn't have to be a ghost boy and everything would turn out alright. He didn't have to destroy the world. He wouldn't--

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" He shook his head, grabbing at his hair and pulling it, almost afraid it was too hard. It would never happen. He could never do that. It doesn't work like that. Life isn't that easy. And when you're a superhero, good things normally don't come your way. You have to make them, work for them. It's just the way things worked. "Like that would ever happen...besides, who am I without the ghosts?" There was just too many thoughts all at once. He couldn't answer them all.

"That's right, _Danny_, who are you without me?"

That wasn't his voice. Or rather it was but--

He stopped breathing. Stopped thinking. Every part of his body went cold, and it wasn't because of the rain. His heart, he could hear it, pumping blood in his ears, and it felt too much like those movie moments were everything just stands still. He didn't want to. Couldn't. But he still…

His head was turning on it's own. He just needed to see. Because he wasn't dream. He wasn't asleep. The tree was still digging into his head and the pain was reassuring himself that this was _real_. He pushed harder into the trees bark, just to be sure. It felt like he was in a horror movie, facing off with Freddy Kruger in a bad nightmare, because that's all this could be. A nightmare. He was sleeping (the pain). He had to be (didn't shut his eye). It would just be too much if that stupid voice (real) was actually--

"Nice to see you again, Danny."

There. Arms crossed, a cocky smile, leaning against the tree he sat under not three feet away from reaching distance. It looked as if he should be doing that every day, just standing around as if it _was_ normal. It was almost humorous, laughable, if not for the fact that Danny still couldn't _breathe_ and his pulse was a few beats above deadly.

"What? Surprised?" The voice was just as cold as ever, and the bright red eyes, made even brighter with the dark rims, seemed just as amused as they should be. "Why, you haven't moved at all. Not even the jump to turn into something worthy of being punched."

And why wasn't he going Phantom?! Why the hell wasn't he moving?! Because he actually couldn't move. He didn't remember how, and those eyes--

He felt like crying or screaming or doing something, but he just couldn't. He knew how pathetic he looked, because he could see his own reflection in the deep red of his other half, and he was looking at his eyes! Why wasn't he looking away or running or fighting or _something_!? Fear. Scared. Petrified. It made him think about dear in the head lights, what they might be thinking right before the car comes, can't slow down, and crushes it. Doomed. Death. Like, maybe this was the end, and the dear was okay with that. That's why they didn't move.

He _wasn't_ okay with it. He wasn't okay at all. There was this ringing in his ears, and the tiny voice that most people say comes when you can't think straight wasn't there for him. He could hear it now, their cries and screams, and every little pop as he rips her apart.

"NO!"

A jump and scream with white lights, rings, but it wasn't fast enough. Dark Danny was waiting, he had to have been ready, and before Danny could do anything but blink, and he was shoved back, pinned against the tree and a bolt went though his body, making it spasm and the white rings die down, leaving him as Danny Fenton. Hands down at his sides, the grip on them would surely leave bruises.

"Hm…" The voice was close, and he refused to open his eyes. Refused, because he already knew what demon he would be staring at. Faces close, so close. It was hurting him. Hurting in all the wrong ways that he _wishes_ to go away. He could feel the cold ghost's breath against his face when he spoke. Cold. It was sending shivers up his spin. "I think you've been slacking off. I mean, _really_." It sounded almost casual. "Come on now," He was pulled up only to be slammed back against the tree, harder than needed. "Open your eyes!"

It was a demand. So he listened. Coward.

There was a smile with sharp teeth, satisfaction was laced within it. It stung.

"You're not here." His voice was shaking and soft, cracking here and there, and he knew just how pathetic it was, but really couldn't care, because his worst nightmare was coming true. "This _isn't_ happening. We took care of you!" His words were more to reassure himself than anything else, but it still wasn't working, even if his voice was getting higher as he spoke. "Clockwork--"

"Won't save you _this_ time."

And this made his voice catch in his throat, and his heart stop, blood running cold. There was no lie in the older man's voice, maybe even too _much_ of the truth.

Danny's eyes went slanted slightly, searching and praying for some sort of mistake to appear in his darker half's own eyes. He couldn't find anything except that damned satisfaction. He was right, and knowing that already felt like failure.

"What did you--"

The hands on his arms squeezed, nails digging deeper into his T-shirt, the cotton much to thin to protect him. A hiss caught off his words, making his head jerk to the side. Puncture holes and bruises now.

"I did exactly what you would have done, Danny." It was a mock. And the other knew it stung too deep. "You shouldn't seem so…surprised. Did you really think it would be that easy? Just lock me up and go on living like everything was okay?"

"That's what I was hoping." Voiced through clenched teeth.

"Ah, but you see! It can't be that easy! It just never is! And guess what?" Dark Danny leaned in, lips right next to his ear, almost brushing it, with cold shots of air every time he exhaled. More shivers down his spin. "I'm still _here_. And do you know what that means?"

He wouldn't think about it, but all the images from his dreams ran through his mind. Blood. Lots of blood with laughter in the background and fire and screams, because he couldn't save them. He couldn't because he was the one doing it. _Him_. No. No. No. No. "No. No. No."

It was starting to be a chant, and the teen didn't even realize he was saying it aloud until there was a deep chuckle that shook his body, right next to his ear. He didn't even know his eyes were closed again until he opened them.

"That's right. This means that you still let them all die, because I'm still here. I _still_ win."

He felt on fire than. Like something just burst and he closed his eyes once more, for a second, before opening them again, and they were glowing green. He screamed and pushed the ghost off of him, transforming at the same time. Dark Danny didn't go far just went back a few yards before floating in the air, arms crossed and looking as smug as ever.

Danny now Phantom had his fists curled tight, glowing the same color as his eyes. He was shaking and was scared, but couldn't just sit there and listen to anything anymore. His mental state was bad enough. And everything around him seemed to shatter even more.

"I'm not going to. Not letting you win. _Ever_. I'm not going to be you!" He yelled, shooting off an energy blast into the sky.

Dark Danny dodged it with ease and just chuckled some more, shaking his head. "Temper, temper, Danny." And then was gone, reappearing right behind Danny to kick him square in the back.

Everything was getting to him. Everything that wasn't right, because it was easier to find the wrongs in everything than the rights, and there was nothing right about everything that was happening here. Everything was wrong. He couldn't think straight, and was just fighting with anger, fear, and instinct. Not very good when it came to Dark Danny. He was everything Danny was and wasn't, and he knew all his moves. He knew everything and there was no winning with him.

The kick made him fall to his knees, a kick to his ribs sent him down on his side, coughing and breath heavily, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. A bright green glow gave his skin a shadowed, sickly look. Ready for attack. And he wasn't moving again.

"You make a lot of false promises, you know that right?" There was a stinging in his arm, making him scream out, because Dark Danny was grabbing his arm which still held his own plasma blast. The older male slammed (threw) him against the tree again, arm over his head and the grip almost bone shattering. "You see, there is no winning with me. I'll always be here." So close again, so cold. "_Always_."

And there was another shock of electricity down his spin, this one even worse than the first, and it made his spin feel optional as he arched up and cried out. It made his whole body go fuzzy with pins and needles, and he closed his eyes, tired and in pain, as the white rings came down, turning him human once more. Human. Pathetic. And that's _exactly_ what Dark was saying.

"You are. And you know it. Can't even save--"

"DANNY!"

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

His eyes went wide with panic, and he wanted to struggle free, but he couldn't move. His darker half cocked an eyebrow, turning towards where the voices were coming from, down the hill. Sam and Tucker. Was school out already? And of course they would know where he would be, because they're smarter than him and know exactly where to find him all the time. He wished they couldn't.

"Please. No." He whispered, not getting the strength to actually cry. Not again.

There was a smirk that showed off teeth and eyes that showed an insanity he couldn't even comprehend. "Oh, goodie. The friends have arrived. It'll make it so much easier on me. I won't have to find them now…"

"No! Stop! Don't touch them!" His voice was panicked and his heart was quickening again.

A voice wouldn't do anything. Just a simple beg? No. Dark Danny wanted blood. He grinned, other hand glowing.

"No! God, don't. I'm _begging_ you. Anything. Anything but _that_." More dream images. More dead bodies. His friends. Family. All dead. Because of him.

"Anything? What could you possible give that would be better than _them_?" He nodded towards the oncoming pair, still unaware that anything was wrong.

Danny's eyes darted back and forth franticly, trying to think long enough to actually get an idea. A way to get out of this. How to save them, because no one else will. "I--" Anything. He needs something! "I'll--" The hand was raised, deadly and glowing. They were coming closer, their voices coming louder up the hill. Up the hill to a death. Death and it would be his fault! His fault! HIS! "ME!" He screamed, lungs heaving.

This got the man's attention. He got a sort of curious look, deviled and evil. "Oh?"

"Yes. Spare them, and you can have me. Anything you want." He didn't even know what he was saying now, because it wasn't his brain that was talking, it was just his mouth moving. "Anything and I'll do it. I swear."

This got a pleased look. Very pleased. Another smirk. "Anything I want?"

He nodded.

"Perfect."

And he screamed, because another shock came, strong and it was burning him from the inside out. He didn't even know the other had let go until there was a sharp pain as he made contacted with the ground. Everything was blurry. Blurry and fading.

"I'll be back. I promise you that." The voice was right in his ear, cold and then something wet. Shivers. He didn't want to think about what it was. Wet and long and it went into his ear, making his whole body shake with…something.

And than nothing. Nothing at all. He was cold and wet and left in the rain steaming and in pain, not knowing what he had actually just did, or what had happened. All there was was an image in his head of all his nightmares, and this bleak future that he couldn't see. A mistake was all his mind could make out. Something…

Voices and nothing. Dark.

He passed out.

* * *

**A/N: I've been thinking hard on how I want this to turn out. It took me a few months to get it right. I want this to matter, somehow, not to you people, but to me, because Danny Phantom was one of my favorite shows, and then it was gone. I've grown a grudge for Butch Hartman, I have. I hate him for what he did. He canceled it to try and work on a show that didn't have a real story plot and could go on forever. Danny Phantom at least had something to follow. And he didn't even try with the last episode. It wasn't suppose to end like that.**

**So that's what I'm writing. How I've always pictured Danny Phantom to end, even if it's not the PG show we all know and love. This is something I wanted to watch. If I had the rights to make the last episode, like I wanted it, I would. But I don't. I love Hartman for his creation, and hate him for the death. So, these may be his characters and his show, but he gave it up when he decided to cancel it. He decided it wasn't good enough to actually finish the right way, so I'll do it for him.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclamer: I do not own Danny Phantom in any way shape or form. If I did? Oh, the things I could do….**

**This Chapter Contains the Following: Cursing and mild violence**

**A/N: Took forever, right? Well, too bad! Because it's here now!**

**

* * *

  
**

_**Chapter 4: Waiting**_

"_How much of human life is lost in waiting."_

_

* * *

  
_

Danny?

It sounded so soft and so distant, like he was dreaming and he very well might be…

"Danny?"

This voice of an angel, he swore. It was all white and lovely and soft against his ears. He swore it was familiar too. Calling him maybe…

"Danny?"

Calling…

"DANNY!"

A gasp of air entered his lungs as he shot up in bed, and right after pain coursed through his whole body. He had a headache and he was hot and his whole body just hurt in general. His vision was foggy with sleep for a few seconds. There were these figures in front of him, blurry, but there. Slowly they formed into the two worried faces of his best friends: Sam and Tucker. They both had these horrified mixed with worry looks written all over their faces. He was confused. Wasn't he—

"Where—"

It's then that he realized those posters were from his room, and when he let his head fall back it fell on his soft pillow instead of hard ground. It gave him some sort of relief, just to know where he was, and Sam and Tucker were safe. He was in his room, after all, and everything was fine. All of that was just a dream, anyway. Another horrible dream to add to his long list, to shove and cover up in his closest forever, until it all finally broke out when he was thirty to give him an unhealthy mental break down where he would go on some killing spree…

His thoughts were rambling, which made his head hurt all the more. So, he stopped thinking and just basked in the moment. It was all over.

"Danny! Wake up, man! What is wrong with you?" Sam shook him out of his comfort, forcing him to open his eyes and stare at them both. "Dude, why did you freak out like that and run out of class?"

His calm was gone. That happened?

"Yah," Tucker's turn to come in and ruin his whole look on life. "We found you on top of a hill in the rain. You were bleeding, Danny!"

His eyes went wider. Oh shit.

Danny flung the covers off of his torso, looking down with wide, fear filled eyes at what he saw. His stomach was all bandaged up where little cuts broke into the skin, and there were bruises too. Deep dark spots on his tan skin. His eyes flew to his wrist. Same bruises there. That had to mean it wasn't just a dream. It was real.

"You guys have to get out of here!" He screamed, not really knowing what else to say. He couldn't explain it. Not now, and not if he was going to come back! Sam and Tucker just had to get as far away as possible. As far away.

Again, he forgot how stubborn they both were when it came to him, especially when it came to him and crazy shit like this. Crazy ghost shit, probably. And they were right. His friends stood their ground, arms crossed over their chests in defiance with the same attitude in their eyes. They wanted answers that he couldn't give.

"Please," Danny knew his voice sounded too close to breaking at this point, and just over the edge of begging. "You have to get out of here. Get away. Or I need to get away or—"

"We're not going anywhere."

"Not without knowing what is going on."

He looking at them both then sighed. "Where are my parents?" because they should have been in there by now. "And jazz?" because she should have been there too, not Sam and not Tucker.

"Downstairs." Tucker replied, motioning to his door. "Do you know how hard it was to get them out of here? So freaking stubborn!"

And he wouldn't mention that it was exactly how they were being right now.

"Danny, we found you in the rain, on top of a hill, passed out or something. What the fuck?"

Another sigh. He clenched his fists, gripping his bed spread until his knuckles went white. "I can't…" and he released the blanket. "I can't say."

"Yes you can!"

"No, I can't!"

"Yes—"

"SAM!"

And it got her quiet, because he didn't scream at her very often. Or maybe it was just the desperate in his face or how pathetic he just seemed in general. Either way, she shut up and everything got quiet. They didn't bother him this time, because somehow they just knew it was more serious than they thought it was. It wasn't just some stupid joke or some stupid problem they faced everyday like the Box Ghost or whatever. This was giving Danny nightmares and bruises and making him freak out in class. It wasn't something they could just talk about and make it all better. He needed serious help.

"Please…" His voice was broken and cracked and weak. "Get out. I'll explain everything later. When I know what's going on myself. I just…don't want you guys getting hurt, okay?" He tried to say this with the most sincerity he could, so he could get his point across fully. "Please." This one was more demanding. He didn't meet their eyes, and he didn't look up as they walked out and closed the door.

He just wanted to sleep, or not, because he was sure his evil alter ego would be there, haunting his every step and breathe. He already was, without actually being there. He needed to get somewhere safe, not for himself, but for everyone else. This house wasn't safe; Amity Park just wasn't safe in general. It didn't matter where he went, because he was sure Dan would find him there. Find him, because he promised if he got Danny he wouldn't touch anyone else, and maybe that was enough to protect them. Maybe.

"Danny?"

It was another soft voice, but this one didn't belong to Sam. It was Jazz, followed by his mom and dad. They came in and he quickly covered up under the covers, just in case they didn't already know.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" His mom sat at the edge of his bed, pulling off her glove and placing the naked hand on his forehead.

He hadn't realized how hot he was. Her hand was so cold on his head, it felt so good. Danny gave a half-hearted smile towards them. "I think…" They couldn't have known much, or they'd be freaking out. "Just…I did feel well." He was talking about school. Didn't feel well in school, but he hoped they probably knew that.

"So you ran out into the rain? Your teacher said you had sort of a break down in class. Running and scream? Honey, you have a fever! How long have you had it?"

He didn't know he even had one, but they would buy it, because they were worried and his parents. They just wanted some logical answer as to why their son was sick and freaking out and mentally ill. "I uh…don't know. I didn't feel well when I woke up this morning, but I didn't think it was this serious…" Now he was even feeling faint, and he wanted to just lay back on his bed and sleep, or at least just shut his eyes, because he hadn't actually slept in a while.

"Oh, my poor baby!" His mother was hugging his head now, gently, but he still got a face full of her boobs. It still felt good. She might have been the world's best ghost hunter (but don't tell his dad that) but she was a mom first, and she knew how to do that part really well. She was a great mom. "You rest up, get some sleep. I'll bring up some soup for you when you're awake, okay?"

Danny nodded with half-lidded eyes, watching his parents walk out. He rolled over onto his side, pulling the covers up higher over his head, trying to ignore the other person in his room. Still.

"Danny, I—"

"Not now Jazz. My head hurts."

"I saw the bruises. You know you can tell me anything right, Danny?" He didn't answer. "Danny…?"

"Jazz," He rolled back over and sat up, staring and glaring at her as best he could. "I just want some sleep. When I need to tell you, I will."

She believed it, and also walked out.

Now he was alone.

So he finally let out the sob.

What was he going to do? All he had was hours or day or weeks or however it took for Dark Danny to stop playing with him. Did he really have that long? The evil half could have killed him. He could have just gotten it over with, but he didn't. He didn't kill him or Sam or Tucker or anyone in his family. They were all still there and alive, meaning he still had a chance, right? They could still beat him. Clockwork—

"_He won't save you this time."_ The voice in his head that sounded too much like the one that whispered into his ear from earlier said this, making him feel sick to his stomach as the words took effect.

Clockwork wasn't there? So what did Dan do? Did he trap him somewhere, or…

Another wave of nausea.

He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't. How do you kill the dead anyway? They're already dead! It was impossible! It had to be! Dark Danny was just lying, like he always did. He was lying. That's how it worked, so he could make Danny insecure and worry, making him feel like there was no hope at all for peace and harmony again, when really there was.

The teen tried to continue these thoughts, tried to keep his spirits high as he lay in bed feeling like total shit, he really did. It wasn't his fault, but his hope had run out sometime ago, and his heart was telling him, truly telling him, that Clockwork wasn't coming to save him this time, and it wasn't because he was stuck somewhere. It just wasn't.

So he let out another sob, curling in on himself, ignoring the pain this caused in his stomach. What was he to do now? He was broken and beaten. Was there anything he could do? He was nothing compared to his evil side. Dark was bigger, stronger, and knew how to use his powers. Sure, he could try the ghostly wail again, but even that hadn't actually worked. He had still failed in the end, when the fire started and the explosion went off. He didn't save them the first time around, Clockwork did, so what gave him the idea he'd be able to save them this time, or even save himself?

Deep down, he knew he was doomed.

All he would do was wait.

* * *

He couldn't really tell how long it was. The clock's glowing green numbers by his bed side blurred together whenever he managed to open his eyes and look at it. He'd also not been able to stay awake. The fever he had was worse than he expected, his brain must be boiling inside his body, along with all his other organs, at least that's how he felt. He knew it could happen, because somewhere along the lines of his feverish thoughts was how someone could die because there insides boiled up when they had a high enough fever. It was some random thing he must have picked up in science…

He'd started to hallucinate too, he swore. It felt like he was one some drug as his posters and walls swirled into each other, and the pictures and stuffed animals from years ago were laughing at him. He could picture them all as clowns with big smiles and wide, red and white faces…laugh at him. Laughing. They didn't think he could do it, that he was ever good enough. He could never save the world, not from this, not from him. It didn't work that way, and they smiled and laughed from across the room as Danny tried to scream, but every time he made a noise louder than a groan, he almost puked. All he could do was cover his head with his pillow until the fever and the laughter overloaded his mind, making his whole body shut down and the boy pass out.

Somewhere in between his fever-sleeps and moving walls, his mother or sister had come in with soup, because once when he woke up there was a bowl of chicken noodle sitting there on his side table. He would have eaten it, because it felt like he hadn't eaten anything in weeks, but his body refused to move. Other times when his eyes closed, he woke again with ice or cool cloths on his forehead, pills next to the soup that wasn't hot anymore, glasses of water…

It worried him. Danny told them not to come in, because it was dangerous. And they were. Though, it really didn't matter, because Dark would just go down stairs and kill them anyway…he needed to get out. Get out. Get out. Get out! GET OUT!

The ranting in his head put him back into a sick sleep where he had little snippets of nightmares, images that didn't get to be complete because he woke up to fast. Pictures and films of bright lights, blood, bombs, deer, cars, and they all seemed to come out of an abstract artists mind, for none of them were ever straight forward, or had odd colors…it must have been the fever. That's what he told himself.

He wasn't going crazy. No.

It was the fever…

He would just wait.

* * *

There was a crash in his dreams.

He wanted to puke.

Blue eyes opened wide, bending over his bed to the garbage can that lay right next to him, just in case. Someone had come in and moved it closer when he was sleeping. Danny gave out a drive heave, probably because there was nothing in his stomach to throw up. His stomach didn't know that, so he did it again and again until all he could feel was stomach acid in his throat and an ache in his lungs. His stomach felt like it was trying to destroy itself. Why had he…?

His half lidded eyes looked down at his floor, noticing the wet spot and the glass shards scattered around the carpet. The water had fallen from his table, probably from him knocking it over in his sleep. No big deal. Someone would come in and clean it up when he was passed out again…

He turned; finally deciding his stomach was done with its heaving, and curled up on his bed again. The covers were long gone, leaving him in only a pair of boxers. He wasn't sure if he had on an actual pair of pajamas at one point, but now it didn't matter. He was hot and cold at the same time; sweat that chilled his too warm flesh slid down his body, soaking the sheets all around him. He almost wished the fever would boil his insides already.

His head hit the pillow, and he took in a breath.

Let it out in a puff of smoke.

Sleep.

Sleep.

Slee…

Smoke?

No.

His breath.

He shot back up, but a cold hand was already wrapped around his throat, slamming his head back against the backboard of his bed, sending his vision spinning with stars and all the images and laughter he remembered. He couldn't breathe.

He almost passed out again, because his head was spinning and his fever was coming back stronger and he couldn't _breathe_, but he stayed conscious, because he had to. For them. Just in case…

"Hello, dear Danny…" The voice was smooth, calm, and filled with a thick sort of lust for…he couldn't tell if it was blood or not. He didn't want to think about it. Too bad he didn't see it as a dream, not this time at least. Those thoughts were long gone, because he refused to be so naïve. That would only mean he would live in denial, going even crazier as he saw them all slaughtered, thinking it was all a dream again. That's not how he wanted it. If it all happens, the way it was supposedly supposed to, he still wanted to be sane in the end.

He decided that a long time ago, because that's what happened. He went insane, and that is what this creature floating above him was. Insane. Completely.

"Ah—" His voice wouldn't answer back, and it wasn't just because his windpipe was being crushed. His mind couldn't function. Not with him being sick and all the pressure and heat.

"Oh, no need to say anything else. I just didn't want to keep you waiting so long…"

It scared him to think that Dark Danny was just playing with him. He knew he was playing with him too, making him wait and wait and wait. Suspense and surprise—that's what the ghost lived for.

Danny saw him through hazy eyes, watched him grin, and felt him squeeze harder. He knew he wouldn't die. That would be too easy. Too quick. It wasn't Dan's style. Oh no. He'd draw out the pain and suffering and death…

"Danny?"

Both of their heads snapped towards the boy's door. The voice was of his—or rather, _their_ mother. Threw the silence they could hear her footsteps coming up from the stairs. She must have heard the glass fall, or Danny being slammed again the wall.

She couldn't come up here. She couldn't enter. She could see him. Not now. Please!

"Dan-"

"M-MOM! N-"

Another slam of his head against the wall, and everything went black for a second.

He heard the door open.

A gasp. A laugh, thick with some sort of wicked humor.

No.

"It seems mommy dearest has arrived…" The whisper came to his ear, right before the scream.

"DANNY!" He saw from the corner of his eye as his mother pulled out a gun from her thigh, pointing right at Dark's head. She would hit him, or at least come close to it, because she was such a good shot, but that didn't mean she was going to be able to do anything. It wouldn't matter. Not with him… "Monster! I'll give you three seconds to put my son down!"

By this time, fast and heavy feet were coming up the stairs too. He wished it wasn't all of them. He wished those noises weren't so familiar. Sam's boots, his dad's suit, Tucker's frantic intakes of breath, Jazz's calls. They would all be there, all in danger.

"St—"

"Danny—Oh my god! Is that—"

"Dan?! What is he doing here!?"

If only he could scream at them all to leave. His fingers were clawing at the hand that wrapped around his throat, feet kicking at his bed sheets, tangling his legs around them.

"One."

She was ready. His dad was ready too. They would try, and fail, and die.

"Two."

Dark Danny just laughed, the noise making the whole room shake, and Danny could feel it run all threw his body, cracking his very soul.

"Go ahead. Try. He'll be dead by the time you pull the trigger." And it was a test. Dark wanted his mother to shoot, just so he had an excuse to attack, like he actually needed one. It was a game, as usual.

His mom didn't know, so her finger was starting to slip. His eyes met with Dark's, his red ones staring into his, mocking him. The hand around his throat loosened; it wasn't on accident. It was part of the game, and he had to play along. If only if it will give them more time.

"Go ahead Danny…" His darker half whispered so only he could hear. "Save them."

The sound of a gun.

He screamed.

"STOP!"

And everyone froze.

He turned back to Dark. "You promised. You promised if you got me, you wouldn't touch them. So you have me! Don't hurt my family."

He saw the smile on the ghost's lips widen.

"Danny what are you talking about? You made a deal with this freak?" Sam spoke up, drawing too much attention to herself.

"Don't worry. I'll be fi—" He thought it was his fever again, but when he would awake, he would figure out it was Dark Danny who had knocked him unconscious. Darkness consumed him, and he didn't know what was going to happen anymore. There was nothing he could do; everything was out of control and this time he couldn't save the day, save the world, or himself.

So his mind sat in this darkness. It wasn't sleep, because there were no nightmares, and no peace. It was just this black space where he would wait. Just wait. Forever.

* * *

**A/N: Well. That's done…finally, right? Gah. You want to know why I actually finally finished this? I had serious writers block with this, but guess what? My brother got me all the Danny Phantom episodes for x-mas, which was awesome, plus I found my muse again, which comes in the form of a music video….yay! I'll hopefully update the next chapter within the month. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclamer: I do not own Danny Phantom in any way shape or form. If I did? Oh, the things I could do….**

**This Chapter Contains the Following: This chapter is the reason the story is rated M. You've be warned.**

**A/N: No, seriously. If you don't like blood, rape, gay sex, torture, and like….everything else that will fall under that category, then DON'T READ.**

_**Chapter 5: What it means to be Defeated.**_

"_You can take from every experience what it has to offer you. And you cannot be defeated if you just keep taking one breath followed by another."_

It was still black when he woke up. All around him there was a horrid smell. The only reason he knew he was awake this time was the fact that his stomach retched; making him vomit up whatever the contents was of his stomach. It felt like nothing but water, but by the burning in his throat, he was sure there was stomach acid in there too. After his stomach finally stopped flipping enough to let him breathe, Danny decided he was actually awake this time. This observation, however, still did not help his current question of where exactly he had awaken.

His mind was foggy and it took some time to actually collect his last thoughts and memories, which was quite difficult, as after he stopped vomiting, his head decided it was a good time as any to start throbbing with pain. In fact, his entire body was in pain. He couldn't think, he couldn't move; hell, it was even an effort to make sure his breathing was even.

It was all still dark. He still didn't know where he was, but after another minute or two, it finally came back to him that his last memory was that of his older, crueler, sicker, future self knocking him out. Now Danny could only hope the ghost did stay true to his word and did not hurt his family or friends. For now that's all he could do. Hope. Because he was sure the reason he was still in complete darkness was because Dan hadn't turned on the lights yet to show Danny his prison he had kidnapped him to.

Danny gave out a groan, realizing he was sitting up, and went back down to relieve his body of the strains that came with the action. The floor was cool on his cheek and forehead, telling him he probably still had a fever and that the floor smelled enough like rust to let him infer that it was made of some type of metal. That still didn't help him to know where he was, so Danny groaned once more and closed his eyes, trying to will his body back into sleep so he wouldn't have to deal with the task of trying to figure it all out.

Of course it wouldn't be that easy. No. Not for him. Nothing in life could be simple enough for Danny Fenton. He lay awake, not really knowing if his eyes were closed or open, as it was all dark enough to be either. He tried not to think about it all, he tried not to think about what could be happening. He couldn't go back to sleep. His throat felt like it was on fire and his stomach gave another twist when he breathed through his nose, that awful smell poisoned his senses. He had to concentrate on his breathing, in and out, in and out, fighting back the distant images of Sam being torn apart and his mother crying for help; trying his hardest not to freak out. He felt shivers rush up his spin, cold and sweat covered. It was at this time that Danny noticed something else strange. He wasn't wearing anything. Naked, alone, on a cold floor in a random dark place; his head filled with morbid images of everyone he loved dying and his entire body was working against him.

"_Doesn't it feel wonderful, Danny?"_

His body shot up into a sitting position, head spinning and stomach flipping once more, but he fought down the feeling of dread. That wasn't his voice.

"_Now, Danny. You should know by now it really is…just not yet."_

No. It wasn't _his voice._ It wasn't his, but it was in his head, loud and clear.

"_Oh, don't worry. You'll get used to it. All in good time, dear boy."_

It echoed around him, making his body shake and quiver. He racked blunt nails over the hard ground, trying to find something—anything—to grip. In the end, all he found were his bare shoulders. He held tight, hard enough that he ached. The echoes wouldn't stop. The voice wouldn't go away.

"_How could I? I'm you, after all…"_

Danny could feel his heart rate speeding up. He felt like he'd surely puke again. He wished it wasn't so dark—

"_Hehe, no you don't…"_

—he wanted to at least see. See whatever torture would come his way—

"_Again, you'd regret it."_

—He finally found the ability to move, as it seemed he had been frozen to his spot by the voice. Danny desperately shuffled back, trying his hardest to maybe find a way to get away from that voice—from him—but it would be no use, he knew. It never was…

A cold wall hit his back, stopping his futile attempt to get away. Darkness was all around him. His chest was heaving. Everything felt numb. The voice echoed all around, laughing.

"S-show yourself!" Danny found his voice, speaking up in a broken sound that was almost soft enough to be a whisper. He didn't care. He knew Dan would hear him.

Another laugh came before the answer. "Hehehe…as you wish, dear Danny."

An eerie green glow of a light sprang up, casting everything in shades of green and shadow. Danny winced, shading his eyes from the light, even if it was just a soft glow. It felt powerful. It lit the room in a way Danny knew was supposed to be mysterious and menacing. He knew that glow. It was the glow of the Ghost Zone. Though, when his eyes finally adjusted, he knew exactly where he was by the shades of purple, blue, and gray that scattered the walls, all made of metal, as were the random gears that covered the room, making up one of the walls even. His darker self was sitting in a chair, right in front of the large orb Danny knew was used to view time and space.

He gasped, empty stomach dry heaving as he curled away and spit up saliva and drops of acid.

Where he was didn't make his stomach curl, or the fact that Dan had a dark look of complete insanity and control in his eyes.

It was the fact that Danny knew where the horrible smell was coming from, and he really wished the lights were off again.

"I'm sure you were thinking it." Dark Danny said, never turning his gaze away from the green misty orb. "'Why wasn't Clockwork coming to save the day? Where could he possibly be…?'" The mad man grinned, turning to look at Danny and then over his shoulder. "You see I took care of that problem a while ago…"

A few feet from where Dark was sitting, there was an unmoving mass of clothing. If one looked closer, they'd notice it was a body of what used to be one of the most powerful ghosts around, and the same ghost that saved Danny and his friends and family from the first time Dark Danny showed up. This time he wasn't going to save anyone.

His torso was a foot or so away from the lower half of his body, scorch marks and a gaping hole was threw his chest, showing off an empty space where Danny was sure a heart was supposed to be, or at least the clock that was inside his chest (if he looked hard enough, he'd find the inner clock across the room, dripping). He could see where Clockwork's spine finally gave out and decided to just rip instead of hold on anymore (just like Sam, just like--). There was a huge puddle of green blood that had spread out as far as it would go. The worst part, however, was the eyes. Danny couldn't pull himself away from them. They were wide open and completely empty, no trace of the lively red that once filled them. Black. Empty. His expression was surprise twisted with pain. Danny just couldn't look away. He couldn't stop.

The only thing that ripped Danny's gaze away from the dead, broken body was the fact that Dan moved. His entire body tensed as his instincts of fighting ghost after ghost for the past year forced him to stand on shaking legs.

"D-don't move!" He said, wishing it didn't sound so pathetic as it cracked on his tongue.

To Danny surprise, his darker half did indeed freeze, but the smirk on his face didn't lesson in the least.

"Go ahead Danny. Try."

Dark lifted his hand, readying a glowing palm to attack.

Danny, even if his head said don't, his body did anyway. It was instinct and reflex and he hated them. He didn't give a shout of his battle cry, but he did feel the beginnings of the boy to ghost transformation begin at his waist. It rose slower than normal, telling him how weak he truly was. When it finally reason his neck, he felt the hair on the back of it stand up with static. He knew the feeling before. It was common, but even so he only had a second to brace himself before a bolt of electricity shot down his spine, sending him withering on all fours and a broken scream coming from his lips.

The shock continued for what felt like hours before his body stopped trying to force itself to transform into the phantom and gave up. He held up his tired and smoking body with only his arms, panting and forgetting to swallow as saliva fell from his mouth onto the metal floor. A few feet in front of him he heard laughter. His body was shaking too much for him to even think about lift his head up to see the monster before him. His insides felt like they were burning, his heart pumping too fast to be healthy. Danny was sure if he tried to transform again it would kill him.

"Nice little thing, isn't it?"

The voice was right above him, which meant Dark had moved. Faster than Danny remembered he could, but right now that didn't really matter, because he felt fingers curl around his neck, or rather something wrapped around his own neck. Fuck. He should have noticed. He should have fucking noticed that; the ring of metal around his neck. It was a Specter Deflector except in collar form.

With his fingers curled under the collar, Dan yanked Danny to his feet, forcing his head up with a soft cry of pain. His blue eyes locked onto the red ones staring at him with a clear spark of insanity.

"Do you understand now, Danny?"

He didn't reply. He wasn't supposed to.

"Do you know now that no matter how hard you try, you will always fail? You can't win, no matter how hard you fight or how hard you try to forget or run away. You can't run from me. You never could. Ever since you got those ghost powers of yours, this was your fate. I will always be you, no matter what, and you can't do anything about. Not as long as I'm still around to make sure things go right…"

Something in Dark's voice, maybe it was his utter calm or his tone that was so very positive with himself, whatever it was, it sparked something up in his body. It pushed all the pain and mental strain he had felt over the past few days to the back of his body and mind, willing it all to be forgotten, if only for this one minutes.

"No." He croaked out, his hands coming up to grip the larger ones holding him up. "I'll n-never do it…never become you. I-I'm not like that. Not evil. Not y-you!" He spat, struggling with what little strength his body could muster at the moment.

This made the smirk on Dark's face falter, if only slightly, he frowned, glaring at his younger self.

"Fine. If you want to do this the hard way…"

It wasn't what he expected, being slammed against the metal wall again and again until his lungs were empty of air and he couldn't see straight. His mind couldn't think fast enough to react at all, or to figure out what was going on. All he did know was there was a lack of wall and lack of hands on his throat before he fell to the ground, not being able to stand after that. He coughed and choked, rubbing his red throat as his naked body shivered, the air seeming to get colder.

He didn't see it happen. He didn't know what to expect after everything. He didn't brace himself. He didn't fucking know. He didn't know!

Dark was gone, and then he wasn't. Danny felt the muscled arms flip him over, making sure he was on his stomach. A hand forced his head to stay down; the other was busy running a long nail down his back. It wasn't until he felt the nail sink in, deeper and deeper, that he started to panic. The blood running down his back was warm on his skin, the pain racing up and down his spine as his flesh was torn apart in a long, thin, gaping wound. Danny kicked and screamed, trying to hit something solid. This stopped as soon as the hand on his head gripped his hair hard and pulled up, slamming the side of his head back down.

Danny saw black for a few seconds, Dark's voice distant in his ears as he recovered from the blow.

"….w…in. But it seems I still need to teach you this." Dark said quietly, his voice laced with anger. Danny didn't breathe at all as his future self leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "So I'm going to break you even more."

The nail that had scarred his back was now used to emphasize those words, sinking in deep, puncturing skin, muscle, and tissue. Danny felt too close to where his spine was and screamed. The nail twisted within him, sending another ear shattering scream from his throat into the air. His arms shook, trying to still keep his body somewhat up. This he would soon regret.

It still hadn't clicked in his head. All he could think about were Dark's words echoing over and over in his ears. They didn't connect with the fact that Danny was on his stomach, neither with the hand that now roamed his back freely, nor with the shivers that ran down his naked body.

And then those nails continued down, trailing the line of blood as it flowed from the end of his tail bone down into the crack of his rear.

That's when it hit him.

_He's going to…oh God! _

He started to struggle again, struggled harder than ever, not caring if Dark got mad. He didn't want to think about it. Not that. Anything but that. He struggled, kicking out his legs again, trying to get his arms under him to push away, anything, anything that got him away from this, him. Anything.

Dark was laughing. He laughed as he still held Danny's head down and then pressed his knees into the back of Danny's own, pinning the boy down with his weight. Danny still tried.

"If you struggle, it'll only hurt more…"

That didn't stop him. Danny still tried. He tried to wiggle free, he tried to overpower his older self, but it was no use. He was just using up what little energy he had, and yet, he still wouldn't stop. Not with him knowing what was going to happen.

His entire body stiffened, his breath hitched in his throat, as he felt the clawed finger from before probing his body. Moving down and around, poking and prodding. Danny shivered, lowering his head. The stress and exhaustion were catching up with him. He closed his eyes, feeling it. Feeling the finger poke at him until he found what he was looking for.

Danny choked back a sob.

"P-please…"

He could almost feel the man smirk behind him as he uttered, "As you wish."

He yelled again. He knew it would have been louder, but the finger went in easier then he thought, and it made him sick to think the only reason it did was because he could feel the blood smeared across his skin. This sensation of part relief left him fast as he felt two more fingers enter him, joining the first, stretching him out. Nails cutting and tearing as they curled and twisted inside him. It felt like nails going threw his hands. He could hear the sound the three made as they slide out, only to slam back in with a sickening slap. Danny felt like he's puke. He felt dirty and humiliated.

The assault didn't last long, as Dark seemed to grow tired of just the fingers. Danny didn't want to think about what was next to come.

Of course, he didn't have to.

There was the noise of ruffling clothing behind him, the shift of a body. Dark had let go of his hair, giving Danny control of his head once more, but he refused to look back. He refused to see what Dan was doing. He refused to see what a sight his lower half must be in.

Then came the feeling of hands on his hips as they pulled up, making Danny's torso fall forward and his backside go into the air. He made the mistake of glancing back. Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes.

"Smile for me."

He watched the next few actions in what seemed like slow motion, as if it all wasn't happening to him. His reflexes kicked in again, his half-transformation sending jolt after jolt of pain through his body, but it was nothing compared to what happened a slit second after.

Danny didn't even scream this time. He couldn't. His voice was gone. His mind was gone. All he could do was feel. He felt the thick cock slam into his small body. He felt the electricity as it shocked him over and over, his body's defenses refusing to give in and admit there was nothing they could do but cause Danny more pain. He felt sharp nails sink into his hips, gripping as flesh and muscle and bone, ripping and tearing, bleeding all over. He could feel it. He felt the way his spine was bent so he could feel just how deep Dark was ramming into him. He felt his mind totally shut down. It refused to think that this could actually be happening. So it left him. It left him alone with the feeling of his body breaking down piece by piece and the monster that was causing it all.

It went on like this for hours. He could tell by the way the gears around the room moved and how in his ears there seemed to be nothing but the distant ticking of a clock. He counted the seconds. One by one until he was sure he had gone mad.

The last thing Danny did feel was Dark emptying everything inside of him as he let go, letting Danny fall into a mess on the floor.

Dark was laughing when he fell back into the darkness.

He wished he couldn't feel his heart still beating.

He just wished it could stop.

**A/N: I'm proud of myself. I kept it nice and classy with that rape! It's over until next chapter, yaaaaay!**


End file.
